Monthly Archives: June 2013

We recently celebrated our printing consultant, Bob’s 60th birthday. Bob prints all the brochures, banners, and other printed media for Clue. He has always been extremely helpful in producing high-quality products for our company and our clients, which is why we wanted to surprise him with a special birthday treat.

Though there was much debate, Tom’s vote for red velvet cake was overruled by a majority vote in favor of the bavarian cream. Since it was a surprise, we couldn’t ask Bob, so we had to settle the matter ourselves. We also bought a balloon cane, which had the unintended effect of frightening Duke, our office dog, more than it served the purpose of teasing Bob.

We toasted Bob’s 60th birthday with champagne (shhh…don’t tell!). Here’s to hoping for many more successful years of working together!

If you’ve ever heard of “therapy dogs,” we at Clue Dental Marketing have one of our own. With their relax attitude and unconditional affection, interacting with dogs can relieve tension and stress in humans. What better place to have a dog than an office?

Our company owner, Andrea, has a dog named Duke that she often brings into the office. Duke is the most laid back dog you will ever meet. When he’s not sleeping behind someone’s office chair, he’s patiently waiting at the door for Andrea to come back from meetings. Our office dog is part of our atmosphere here at Clue. Working hard to design creative material, meet deadlines, and make sure everyone is satisfied with the product can be stressful, but you can always count on Duke make you laugh.

Duke has one grand delusion: he thinks he is a lap dog. It doesn’t matter if there’s an inch of cushion available or an entire seat, he’ll try to get up there. We reenacted the cartoon below and Duke gladly complied. Who would have thought there was room on that chair??

The past week at the office everyone has been waiting patiently (or not-so-patiently) for the dry erase walls to dry so that we can start testing out our artistic skills on them. The walls were supposed to be given two weeks to dry properly – but that doesn’t mean a couple “test marks” weren’t made behind the printer… Now we are in full force, recording our increasing Facebook “Likes” on the wall and getting an entire side of the conference room decked out with dry erase paint as well.

Here is our painter, Steve, who has become part of the Clue family in the past few weeks, working on the conference room:

We also tried a little experiment to determine whether to use specialized dry erase paint or high-gloss paint before we decided which to use on the conference room. Tom’s office has the specialized dry erase paint while Brian’s has the high gloss stuff. The results: erasing capabilities are about the same, but the prep work and affordability of the high-gloss paint are more reasonable. So high-gloss paint it is for the conference room!

Now that the paint in Tom and Brian’s offices is dry, we have begun to write to-do lists, document projects, and put some fun drawings on the walls. The best part is it can all come off whenever we need it to (or at least we hope so!)

We have even been recording the “Likes” on our Facebook page after we started a new contest in which dentists can win a free lunch for their entire practice. Whoever likes our Facebook page will be entered in a drawing to win the free lunch for their practice. We’ve been refreshing the Facebook page a few times a day to see who has entered the contest!

Ever wonder how websites are designed and how they become accessible on the Internet? Maybe you’re looking to create a website for your company or revamp and old site to reflect fresh, modern trends. Doctors’ practices can benefit greatly from having a website. Websites attract new costumers, keep your existing clients up-to-date, and allow people to get a sense of the atmosphere and offerings of your practice before setting foot in your office. However, if you do not understand how websites work and what services are best for your company, you may not know what you can do yourself and what services you need.

Here are some of the basic questions regarding websites and hosting asked by our clients:

What is a website, exactly?

A website starts as a file that contains information on how content should appear on the Internet. You need a program like DreamWeaver that allows you to design the webpage, just as you might use Word to type a letter or PowerPoint to design a slide show. Just because you have designed a webpage does not mean that it is automatically on the Internet. Let’s start with an analogy: imagine your home. A website is like the physical structure that is your house. If you have the code written for a website and a software program that allows you to translate code into webpages, this would be like having the blueprint and raw materials for your house.

What do you mean by “code”?

Code is like a blueprint. It describes exactly where everything should be positioned on the website down to every color and piece of text. Before your website goes online, it starts as a blueprint of how the site should appear once it is on the Internet. Every web page is made up of two types of code: HTML and CSS. HTML describes the content of your website, telling your web browser which headlines, subheadings, paragraphs, lists and other objects should be displayed. CSS styles your content, defining the fonts, sizes, colors and position of all the objects.

Why do I need a Web Host?

If you only have the blueprint and materials to build a house, you won’t get very far. You need a plot of land to build it on. The company that sells you the plot of land on which to build your house is similar to the Web Host. The web host has physical hardware and servers needed to put your website on the Internet. Without the web host, your website has no way of getting online.

What is the difference between a website and a domain name?

When you purchase a plot of land, you are given an address that designates where exactly your home is located. All the rooms in your house, your porch, garage, and backyard are grouped under a single address. This is akin to your website’s domain name. It’s the address that determines where on the Internet your website can be found. You are given a domain name when you purchase the space from the web host. Purchasing your own domain name is like owning your own home with a unique address, while “free” websites from hosts like GoDaddy are often like renting apartments; you get your own space but your address is still attached to the whole building.

If a domain name is your address, what is the URL?

A URL is a little bit trickier to compare. It’s as if each floor and room in your house has a separate address. If your living room had a URL, it might be https://www.100DruryLane.com/firstfloor-livingroom

What is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. When your website is optimized for search engines, it means that someone looking for what you’re offering (i.e. “Chicago Dentist”) will find you website as one of the primary options when they type those search words into Google, Yahoo, or another search engine.

How do I customize my website?

Like deciding whether to buy a house, condominium, or apartment – and whether to rent or own – the more time, effort and money you are willing to spend, the more customizable your website can be. If you start from scratch in creating a theme and format for your website and your buy your own domain name, the options for customizing your site are very open.

If you have the resources and knowledge, you can buy a plot of land and build your own house from scratch. However, most people choose to go through a real estate agent and building company, and when they need maintenance done to their house, they hire a contractor. If you do not have the tools and time to build a website, you will need a third-party company to design, host, and maintain your website.

Some higher-end companies will do all of these services at a cost. They will design your website and customize it to your personal brand, put it online, and then update it as you request changes. A completely original and customized website with ongoing maintenance services is the most costly option, but it is also the most professional and comprehensive option for building your website.

When you rent an apartment rather than buying a house, you may not be able to paint the walls or remodel the layout of your apartment. Similarly, if you purchase a inexpensive template site from a large web host company, you will have less freedom to cater the site to your tastes and brand. Every route you chose when deciding options for your website will come down to this: the more your are willing to pay for creative design services, the more personalized and professional your website will be.

Overview

Webpage – a file saved on a computer containing information on how a content should appear on the Internet

Website – multiple webpages, linked together via a common domain name

Domain Name – a unique address describing where your website is located on the Internet

URL – a more specific address that ties each webpage in a website to a hierarchy branching out from the site’s domain

Web Hosting – a service that has the capability to put your website on the Internet